#1 Davis Races Past Lake Stevens in State Quarterfinals, 76-56
WATCH: Noelani Tupua's 62-foot first half buzzer beater below. Lake still alive for a trophy, play Gonzaga Prep Friday, 9:00 am...Defending champ Davis looks the part in win. Box score, pics, more
TACOMA DOME — For a half, the Lake Stevens Vikings went toe-to-toe with the defending state champions, electrified by a stunning buzzer-beater that will live forever in memories and on social media.
But a relentless second-half surge by the Davis Pirates and their player of the year candidate Cheyenne Hull ended the Vikings’ championship dreams.
The top-seeded Davis Pirates (22-0) pulled away in the final two quarters to defeat No. 10 seed Lake Stevens (21-4)by a score of 76-56 in the Class 4A state quarterfinals Thursday morning at the Tacoma Dome.
Davis is through to the semis, Lake Stevens is off to the trophy bracket, where four teams play for 4th and 6th place trophies starting tomorrow.
Despite the loss, Lake Stevens junior Noelani Tupua delivered a sensational, do-it-all performance.
Tupua kept the Vikings within striking distance heading into the locker room when she launched a stunning 62-foot heave that found the bottom of the net as the halftime buzzer sounded.
Her Steph Curry-like swish from 3/4 court punctuated an incredibly efficient morning defined by aggressive drives to the rim, finished with equal portions of touch and athleticism. The junior Alabama commit (soccer) poured in a team-high 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field.
The six foot guard left no question — for the second straight year — that she’d be in the running for the state’s top 2027 player if she specialized. Obviously, the state champion striker does just fine on the soccer pitch so the choice is understandable.
That said, the lengthy 2027 star made her presence known at every part of the court and in all aspects of the game. Noe stuffed the stat sheet with eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals in 30 minutes of action.
Viks Keep it Close in End-to-End First Half
The Vikings (21-4) opened the scoring with two Keira Isabelle Tupua buckets, but the Davis press quickly forced a couple turnovers and capitalized. Such was the story of an up-and-down first half that saw both teams operating three quarter court presses, resulting in end-to-end action that the Pirates — slightly smaller but slightly faster and more skilled one through five — got the better of.
That said, Lake benefitted from strong contributions from bigs in the second quarter, with 6-2 sophomore Rosie Galloway swatting the player of the year candidate and otherwise leaving a few press row journalists looking up her number on the roster while mumbling “Who is this 12?”. Senior post Dara Olutu was strong inside and for the second straight day showed off great hands and quick feet, snaring a whipped-in entry pass and converting at the rim under pressure.
A frantic final 30 seconds off the half saw Lake close within four on a Tessa Anastasi three, followed by a Davis layin with five seconds left. With the clocking ticking down, the Viks inbounded to Noelani with four seconds on the clock.
The 2027 star checked the time remaining and dribbled hard to three-quarter court before pulling up and shooting (not heaving) a 62-footer, which swished through the bottom of the net like Steph Curry completing his pregame routine. The Viks trailed just 39-36 at the intermission.
However, Davis emerged from the locker room and turned up the pressure, outscoring Lake Stevens 22-11 in the third quarter and 15-9 in the fourth, with Hull repeatedly working her way to the line. The junior star was nine of ten at the charity stripe. Noelani Tupua, who took 13 shots at the rim, didn’t earn one whistle. .
The Vikings’ defense worked hard to contain Hull, holding the reigning tournament MVP to just 6-of-20 shooting from the floor. But Hull made her presence felt everywhere else. She finished with a massive double-double of 22 points and 18 rebounds (including six on the offensive glass), while securing six steals and knocking down 9 of 10 attempts at the free-throw line. Kobe Johnson added 12 points and Deets Parrish contributed 10 points and five rebounds for the Pirates.
Davis was paced by junior guard Isa Garcia, who led all scorers with 24 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Ultimately, the Pirates’ volume and pressure wore Lake Stevens down. Davis won the rebounding battle 46-33 and forced 20 Lake Stevens turnovers. The Pirates capitalized on those mistakes, translating them into 23 points off turnovers compared to the Vikings’ 12. Davis also edged Lake Stevens in points in the paint, 40-34.
Alongside Noelani, senior guard Keira Isabelle Tupua battled fiercely in her usual manner, expending untold energy picking up 65 feet from the basket and constantly pushing the ball in transition. The 2026 combo guard tallied 19 points, pulling down a team-high nine rebounds, and grabbing four steals. Senior point guard Tessa Anastasi added six points and three boards, while senior post Kendel Kuehl chipped in five points.
What’s Next and What’s on the Line?
Davis plays Kennedy Catholic tomorrow in the 4A semifinal at 3:45 pm.
But the state tournament is not over for Lake Stevens either. The Vikings now move to the consolation bracket, where they are still in the hunt to bring home a state trophy.
Lake Stevens faces the No. 5 seed Gonzaga Prep Bullpups in a loser-out game on Friday, March 6, at 9:00 a.m.. Prep was upset by No. 11 Kennedy Catholic 65-52 in their quarterfinal matchup on Thursday.
If Lake Stevens can rebound with a victory over Gonzaga Prep, they will advance to Saturday’s 4th/6th place trophy game. A loss on Friday morning would end their impressive season.
BOX SCORE — Davis 76 Lake Stevens 56
